1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which can perform cleavage at the target cleavage position with high positional accuracy no matter what the accuracy of positional control of the cleaving blade.
2. Background Art
To cleave a semiconductor substrate, a scribed groove is formed in one surface of the semiconductor substrate and cleavage starting from the scribed groove is caused by applying a cleaving blade with pressure to the opposite surface (see, for example, FIG. 1(b) in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-9517).
Manufacturing methods for improving the positional accuracy of this cleavage have been proposed. For example, a manufacturing method has been proposed in which an auxiliary groove for cleavage is formed on the semiconductor growth layer side in the vicinity of a target cleavage position (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 5151400). A manufacturing method has also been proposed in which an opening portion where a particular semiconductor layer and an insulating layer do not exist is formed in a region where a scribed groove is to be formed. This is intended to form a crack extending vertically and linearly from the scribed groove toward the surface opposite from the surface in which the scribed groove is formed (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 4862965). A manufacturing method has also been proposed in which a semiconductor substrate is etched to form a recess in one surface thereof opposite from the surface in which a scribed groove is formed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-284293).